Passing Ages, Changing Seasons
by Sylis
Summary: In the land of Hyrule, a legend tells the tale of a sacred relic that holds the power to grant a wish, and a hero that will stand up to the evil that wishes to claim it. But sometimes even a hero could use a hand, even if it is the help of a farm girl.
1. Destiny

A/N: After many years of being an inactive writer I've decided to jump back into it, mainly due to the large amount of free time I have gotten. While I am not continuing the Zelda story I had started, I am going to use a similar concept and storyline I had originally planed on using. With some slight alterations to the beginning and a renewed motivation to finish the story, I will get the chapters posted as soon as I can.

**As always, I do not own "The Legend of Zelda" series, its characters or its scenarios, they are all own by their respective owners. This is a fan fiction purely for the enjoyment of others.**

_**The Legend of Zelda**_

_**Ocarina of Time**_

**Passing Ages, Changing Seasons**

_Destiny_

Fires roared, the flickering flame was all that could be seen across the midnight sky. An evil chuckle bellowed through the air, leaving a frightening echo behind.

_Wake up..._

The child's eye's clamped shut and his breathing became heavy. Sweat was slowly dripping down his brow.

_You have to wake up…_

A man approached; each step he took sounded like bones being crushed beneath his boot. The dark skinned man lifted his hand before him, his open palm glowing with a strange energy.

_Wake up!_

The sphere of light grew bigger, the magical energy emitting a whirling sound. It suddenly shot forward, blocking everything in sight.

"Lazy boy, wake up!" Blue eyes opened wide, blond bangs sat in front of them from being pressed between a pillow and a forehead. The child was taking slow deep breaths as he tried to make sense of everything.

_What was that?_ He slowly fell back into his bed, turning his head to the right to stare out the window. The sun was slowly rising over the tips of the trees. _Was that.... just a dream?_

"Please tell me you are awake… How can all of Hyrule depend on this lazy child!?" The young boy yelped with a startle, now learning that the voice he heard was not just in his dream, but that of a blue fairy hovering over his head. "I see you have finally decided to join us here in the real world." The boy slowly sat up, staring at the floating blue being through bed head hair.

_This is going to be one of those days…_

_~_~_~_~_~_~

As the sun peaked over the wooden fence, a cucco gave a loud crow that could be heard all across the land. That was all that was needed to cause the stirring of a young red haired Hylian, her limbs stretched out wide as she let out a soft yawn.

"Morning already…" The young girl groaned as she slipped out of bed and walked to her dresser. She quickly slipped off her bed clothes and put on a white farm dress with a blue design along the bottom and the sleeves, she also noticed the brown manure stain on the front. She let out a deep sigh, "Dad must have just thrown the laundry in the water again." She quickly began to fix the mess that was her hair, a small smile on her face. _He can be so helpless sometimes._ The red head put her hair brush down and reached for a yellow scarf and broach that sat on top of the dresser, her smile fading to a slight frown. _Ever since mom died…_ She shook her head, deciding not to dwell on such thoughts. The girl wrapped her precious yellow scarf around her neck, attaching the broach to the front. "Alright… Times a wasting." She walked to the door, and opened it with a soft creak. Shutting it behind her, the young red hair looked around at the small farmhouse. She made her way to the door next to hers, knocking on it loudly.

"Dad? You awake? We have that big delivery to the castle tomorrow." Her voice was only answered with loud snoring. "Oh dad..." She shook her head, deciding that it was useless trying to wake him up. The girl walked downstairs, grabbed a quick bite and was out the door.

The bright orange sun was shining over Lon Lon Ranch, casting its beautiful glow on everything in sight. The red haired girl took in a deep breath, enjoying the scent of her familiar home. Her eyes caught glance of the cuccos who were already up, clucking as they searched for food. She nodded to herself and walked to the small barn to grab some feed. Once inside, the saw the familiar green shirt and pink overalls of Ingo, an employee of her fathers. He was already milking one of the cows, apparently growing frustrated at the bovine because it was being stubborn.

"Good morning Mr. Ingo." The girl said happily, reaching for the cucco feed. She received a grumble that she couldn't make out; it seems that was all she got from him lately. Shrugging it off, the girl walked outside and fed the cuccos, she then returned to the barn to let the horses get their exercise. "Alright," she dusted her hands off and turned to the cows with a smile. "Time to finish up the order for the castle." Humming the melody her mom had taught her, she grabbed a pale and a stool.

_~_~_~_~_~_~

The young boy travels through the twisting passage, on his back is the hidden treasure of the Kokiri Forest, the Kokiri Sword. He also wore green clothing like that of the other Kokiri children, a tunic and a hat that's tip rested gently against his back. Leading his way was the blue fairy which had awoken him from his nightmare. Other than instructing him to follow her, she had remained silent. The twisting passage had come to an end, revealing a large grove that was bustling with plant life. In the center was a large tree which appeared to have a face.

"Oh... Navi... Thou hast returned..." The young boy jumped when he had heard the voice, falling to the ground in shock. He could have sworn the voice had emitted from the tree. "Link... Welcome..." the voice roared gently "Listen carefully to what I, the Deku Tree, am about to tell thee..." Link was unsure of what to do, he was listening to a talking tree, but part of him told him to step forward and listen. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself and gave the Deku Tree his full attention. "Thy slumber these past moons must have been restless and full of nightmares... As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it... Verily, thou hast felt it..." Link looked at the tree with a puzzled expression.

"How… did you know about my nightmares?"

"Link… It is by fate that you and I speak now, that I tell you of thy destiny. Of course, fate is not everything; thou must also be strong and willing to rise up to a challenge. Link... The time has come to test thy courage... I have been cursed... I need you to break the curse with your wisdom and courage. Do you accept thy destiny? Dost thou have courage enough to undertake this task?" Link's mind was racing, still trying to process everything that was going on. "Thou hast doubt... I can feel it, but I also feel thy feelings of thy heart... Thy answer I already know." A loud creaking filled the grove as the Great Deku tree opened its mouth wide. "Thou hast great courage, thy will prevail. Navi, thou shall accompany Link, aid him in his battle."

"Navi, I'm counting on your help." Link said as he drew his sword, charging forward into the Great Deku Tree.

"Link! Wait up!"

_~_~_~_~_~_~

The afternoon sun was getting lower and lower, the sound of the neighing horses filled the air at the ranch. The red headed farm girl wiped the sweat from her brow with her forearm, smiling to herself.

"That's the last of the milk dad!" She called out to the chubby man in blue overalls. He turned around and revealed his bearded face complete with a small ponytail hiding behind his bald head. He smiled and let out a bellow of a laugh.

"Ho-ho! Nice work Malon! You really helped us out today! Don't ya think Ingo?" The skinnier of the two simply grunted, though Malon swore she may have heard "good job."

"I'm going to check on Epona, and then I'll get started on dinner." Her father nodded, causing Malon to run up and give him a hug. "I'll only be a little while." Her father couldn't help but smile, unfortunately Ingo was starting to get irritated.

"Talon! We need to get these crates loaded." Talon hurried over to Ingo, grabbing the other side of the crate.

"Oh! Sorry about that Ingo. One… two… three!" The two men lifted the crate and pushed it onto the wagon. "Ok, only two more to go." As the two men continued to load the wagon, Malon had made her way to the center of the ranch where the horses were grazing. Among all the brown steeds with dark manes, a small horse with a white mane was standing by itself. As soon as the horse caught sight of Malon, it galloped lightly towards her.

"Epona! How are you doing?" The small horse nuzzled against Malon's cheek affectionately, earning a rub on the nose from the red head. "You seem happy today girl, how about a carrot?" She asked her friend as she revealed the scrumptious treat in her hand. Epona happily ate the carrot, causing Malon to giggle. "I guess you liked it." The young girl looked up at the sky, the sun was going to be setting soon and she would have to make dinner soon. "How about one song? How does that sound girl?" Epona let out a loud neigh in approval. Malon's voice filled the ranch as she sang her signature song.

_~_~_~_~_~_~

With one last battle cry, Link's sword sliced through the eye of the parasite, Queen Gohma. It shrieked in pain as it writhed back and forth, finally crashing to the ground. The dark magic that had given her its power was now burning the Gohma from the inside out, incinerating what was left of the creature. Link dropped his sword as he panted heavily.

"That… wasn't… easy…" The young boy managed get out in between breathes, his hands resting on his knees. Flying around his head was the blue fairy Navi, buzzing with excitement.

"You did it Link! Nice work!" She landed on his shoulder before speaking again. "As first, I had my doubts, but I can see that I was wrong. Now we just need to-" Before she could finish, a blue light shone from across the room. As the two cautiously approached, what they discovered was a large circle glowing with the blue light. "Link… There is something strange about this," she turned to face the young boy, "maybe we… shouldn't…" He wasn't there. She frantically searched around, finding him already walking into the light. "Hey! Wait for me!" She flew after him, circling him a few times. "You should be more cautious!"

"Yeah, maybe." Link grinned. "But I just have a feeling that it's alright." As soon as both were inside, the light encased the entire room, blinding both the boy and the fairy. When the light faded, they were surprised to find themselves in the grove of the Great Deku Tree.

"Well done, Link..." The tree took a deep breath, as if he were trying to compose himself. "Thou hast verily demonstrated thy courage... I knew that thou wouldst be able to carry out my wishes..." It took another deep breath. Before Link or Navi could ask what was wrong, the Great Deku Tree spoke once again. "Now, I have yet more to tell ye, listen carefully…" Link sat down, giving the Forest Spirit his full attention. "A wicked man of the desert cast this dreadful curse upon me...This evil man ceaselessly uses his vile, sorcerous powers in his search for the Sacred Realm that is connected to Hyrule..." The grove disappeared and what appeared in front of Link and Navi was emptiness. "For it is in that Sacred Realm that one will find the divine relic, the Triforce, which contains the essence of the gods..." In a flash, three beings appeared, their skinned shone like gold. Around each one was an aura of light, one red, one blue, and one green. "Before time began, before spirits and life existed... Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule... Din, the goddess of power... Nayru, the goddess of wisdom... Farore, the goddess of courage..." The first of the goddesses left her hovering state and began to soar through the empty space above them; earth began to form beneath their feet. The Deku Tree's voice echoed as it seemingly came from the air around them. "Din... With her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth…" The second goddess of blue hovered high in the air, with a sudden flash, the blue sky appeared with an occasional cloud. "Nayru... Poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world…" The final goddess of green lowered herself to the ground, levitating above it as she flew past Link and Navi. Trailing behind her, grass grew from the earth. Fire Flies began to buzz through the air and a few furry animals could be seen hopping on the ground. "Farore... With her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law." The three goddesses came together, bowing their heads before they shot themselves high into the sky. "The three great goddesses, their labors completed, departed for the heavens." Suddenly, all three entities crashed into each other, but all that was left were three golden triangles. "And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world. Since then, the sacred triangles have become the basis of our world's providence. And, the resting place of the triangles has become the Sacred Realm." Everything faded to black, and the sacred grove of the forest reappeared. Link stood to his feet and Navi lifted off his shoulder.

"Thou must never allow the desert man in black armor to lay his hands on the sacred Triforce... Thou must never suffer that man, with his evil heart, to enter the Sacred Realm of legend..." His breathing became heavier and more labored. "That evil man who cast the death curse upon me and sapped my power..."

"Sapped your power?" Navi asked in a worried tone.

"Because of that curse, my end is nigh... Though your valiant efforts to break the curse were successful, I was doomed before you started..."

"What!?" Link yelled, his fists shaking. "Then… everything was for nothing!?"

"But do not grieve for me..." The tree's color faded slightly as it took another breath. "I have been able to tell you of these important matters... Thou art Hyrule's last hope…" The Deku Tree's voice was becoming raspy. "Go now… to Hyrule Castle... and take this stone…" From the branches high above, a green light could be seen between the leaves. It slowly lowered down into the awaiting hands of Link, a large green gem with a swirl of gold. "Known as the Kokiri Emerald, this is the Spiritual Stone of the Forest… At the castle, thou will surely meet the Princess of Destiny..." The Great Deku Tree took another harsh breath. "The future depends on thee, Link... Thou art courageous... Navi the fairy... Help Link to carry out my will... I entreat… ye... Link… Navi… Good...bye..." Everything had grown silent, and then a single leaf fell from the branch of the Deku Tree. More and more leaves began to fall, what appeared to be its eyebrows drooped down. The light that once shone in the Great Deku Tree's bark had faded. Navi floated forward, a sniffle could be heard from the little fairy.

"Good bye… Great Deku Tree." She turned back to the blond boy. "We should get going… We need to get to Hyrule Castle."

"Wait…" Link slowly approached the forest guardian, placing his hand against the bark. "Forgive me… Great Deku Tree, but I need your help… one last time." He drew the Kokiri sword from its scabbard.

"Link?" The blade hit the hard bark of the tree. "Link!? What are you doing!?" After some light chopping, Link ripped off a section of the Deku Tree's bark, it was hard and sturdy. The blond boy sat down and slowly carved the thick bark into a makeshift shield. Finally, he carved an image into the front of it; it looked like an outline of the Kokiri Emerald. Standing up, Link held the shield in his right hand, giving it a slight test.

"Alright…" Placing his sword and shield onto his back, his eyes held a new look of determination. "Let's get to Hyrule Castle!" He threw his fist up in the air with enthusiasm. Navi nodded as she flew forward, she then noticed that Link hadn't moved. Link scratched his head sheepishly. "Which way is Hyrule Castle?"

**A/N: The story is starting out a little slow, but I am just trying to set the story and the plot into place. I'll be honest, the child time-frame will advance the story quickly while showing glimpse of Malon and Link's adolescent moments, they are just kids after all. I mean, they aren't going to fall in love as children, they don't know what that is at that age. If you are looking for a lemon, then I'm sorry but you won't find it here.**

**Another Quick note… I would like to thank my Beta Reader, aries2110, for helping me out. While we have both proof read the story, there is always the chance of a few mistakes slipping past up, weather it is a spelling and grammar thing, or if it is a facts thing with some info being wrong from a Legend of Zelda source. Feel free to point out mistakes, I won't hate you for it, it's the only way I'll improve as a writer.**

**A quick apology to those who read the chapter before I had a chance to replace the {Line Break}'s with something a little more decorative. I just think it looks better than having that written in there. I forgot to do it before posting the story.  
**


	2. Meeting

A/N: Again I would like to thank my beta reader for helping me with proof reading my chapters; it is assistance that I really appreciate.

It seems that my Beta reader is on vacation or something, so instead of letting the story sit, I'm going to go through the chapter again and post it.

While I am going to try and reply to every reviewer that leaves a comment, don't feel hurt if I do not mention you personally in the following chapter. If someone leaves a comment or a question that I feel is important, then I will post it and a response in the following chapter.

**As always, I do not own "The Legend of Zelda" series, its characters or its scenarios, they are all own by their respective owners. This is a fan fiction purely for the enjoyment of others.**

_**The Legend of Zelda**_

_**Ocarina of Time**_

**Passing Ages, Changing Seasons**

_Meeting_

The sun had risen over Lon Lon Ranch, the bright rays shone into Malon's room and onto her empty bed. She had been awake for a couple hours, excited to go to the Castle Town Market with her father. It was a rare opportunity to leave the ranch, so the red head took every chance she could. Malon was in the barn with the cows and Epona, brushing the horse's white man. The entire time, Malon was singing her mother's song.

"I've got a strange feeling about today, girl." She ran the brush over the small horse's side, cleaning the dirt off her coat. "Last night, I this strange dream…" Malon closed her eyes, recalling the images she had seen that morning.

Dark clouds had gathered from the west, making their way north, towards the castle. A light appeared from the southwest, heading in the direction of the castle. The odd thing was, the light stopped right outside the castle, as if it couldn't get any closer.

Malon opened her eyes, not sure what the dream was or if it had meant something.

"Maybe I'll get to go on an adventure… Maybe I'll get to see the inside of the castle!" She giggled as she gave Epona's nose a soft petting. "After all, I do get to go to the market with Dad today!" She smiled, looking Epona over. "Alright! You're all done." Epona nuzzled against Malon's cheek, causing her to laugh.

"Malon? Ya in here?" Talon's voice rang through the open barn door.

"Right here Dad." She sat up from her stool, looking to the barn door.

"Hurry up now, the horses are hitched to the wagon and we're ready to go." Malon nodded to her father, he shut the door and made his way to the wagon. The young girl gave one last petting to Epona, holding out a carrot for the small horse.

"Alright girl, I'm heading into town with Dad, so I'll be back later." The horse let out a loud neigh in protest, Malon reassured her. "It's alright," she laid her head against the horses; "I won't be gone long." With that, Malon waved good bye to her friend and left the barn. Once outside, she saw her father motioning for her. The red haired girl ran to the wagon, hopping into the back. "Ready!" Talon nodded and he snapped the reigns, the horses set into motion. The wagon rolled down the entrance of Lon Lon Ranch, and into the vast Hyrule Field. She blinked in confusion, squinting slightly.

_What was that? Something green?_

_~_~_~_~_~_~

(A day earlier…)

As Link and Navi left the grove of the Great Deku Tree, the children of the Kokiri Forest gathered at the path. In front of them, leading the group was Mido, the self labeled 'boss' of the Kokiri. When Link and Navi came into view, Mido was the first to approach them.

"What happened in there?" Mido demanded, marching straight up to Link. The young blond remained silent, looking to the ground. "I asked you a question!" Mido grabbed him by the scruff of his tunic, lifting Link up to his face. He noticed the shield on the blond boys back, letting go of the green fabric. "The Great Deku Tree..."

"He's… dead." Everyone fell silent after Link spoke, some in shock, others in deep sadness. Mido's gaze fell to the ground, his hands balled up in fists and shaking. In a flash, Link hit the ground, Mido's fist was shaking in mid air. The blond boy stood to his feet, rubbing his cheek slightly. "It wasn't my fault... Someone else did this to him."

"Shut up!" Mido yelled, his voice filled with rage.

"Mido… I'm going to find the person that did this to him… I'll come back after I do."

"Just get out of here…" Link stopped, about to put his hand on Mido's shoulder. "Just go!" The orange haired Kokiri yelled, causing the other boy to cringe. Feeling defeated, Link began walking towards the other Kokiri. As he approached, they parted, a narrow passage formed in between all the bodies. Link walked by all of the people he thought were his friends, except now they were all staring at him, some with hate, others with sympathy. As Link reached the other end of the Kokiri Forest, he saw the tunnel which would lead out of the haven that was the forest.

"Let's go Navi…" He walked onto the wooden bridge; his footsteps began to echo as he went deeper into the Lost Woods. The two continued to walk, coming to the final tunnel.

"Link." Both Link and Navi freeze, turning at the sound of the familiar voice. Standing in between them and the entrance to the Kokiri Forest was the green haired girl, Saria.

"Saria..." Link took a step forward, a look of quilt on his face. "The Great Deku Tree..."

"I know." She smiles and nodded slowly. "He has passed away…" She took a deep breath. "I also know that you were not the cause of his death." The two stood there in silence, their fairies had given them a moment alone. "You're leaving… aren't you?" Slowly, Link nodded his head.

"Yeah... I need to go to Hyrule Castle. Besides, I don't think the others want me around." Saria gave a slight nod, understanding what he meant.

"You know…" Link looked back up at her. "I always knew, you would leave the forest some day. You're different from me and the rest of my friends." Saria smiles sweetly. "But, that's okay… because we will always be friends, right?" She walked closer to the blond boy, holding her hands out. "Here, I want you to have this." In her hands a brown ocarina sat, Link slowly reached for it. "This is a token of our friendship, treasure it." The blond boy held it in front of him for a moment, taking in its simplicity.

"Thanks Saria, this means a lot." Link looked up at her, smiling.

"Play it some time, and think of forest… and of me." A small frown appeared on Saria's face, "I'm sad to see you go," she forced a smile, "but I know you have things you must do... Promise me you'll be safe." Link slowly nodded. "Good bye, Link." With their goodbyes exchanged, Link ran through the final wooden gateway separating the Lost Woods and Hyrule Field.

(Present Day…)

Having found safety from the Stalchildren in a tall tree, Link slept there through the night. Navi slept peacefully on top of his blond hair, under the protection of his green cap. The sound of horse shoes clapping against the dirt road caused the pair to stir, waking them from their slumber.

"Five more minutes…" Navi murmured, grabbing Link's hair and pulling it over her small body like a blanket. Link slowly opened his eyes, catching a glimpse of a small wagon with something red in the back. He poked at his cap, a grumble emitting from it.

"Come on Navi, its morning." Holding onto his cap, the young boy leapt from the tree, his feet kicking up dust as he landed. The blue fairy slipped out of his cap, flying in circles.

"That wagon... It's heading to the castle." The fairy's wings drooped when she noticed how far off it was. "I guess we won't be hitching a ride."

"Then we better get moving." Link readjusted his tunic and began sprinting towards the large white walls.

_~_~_~_~_~_~

The noon sun was high in the sky; Malon was sitting down on the ledge of a water fountain that sat in the middle of the market. It had been well over an hour since her father had left for the castle; there had been no sign of him.

"He probably fell asleep." Malon spoke softly to herself. "What a thing for an adult to do." She looked around at the bustling crowd of the market, mainly adults shoving and pushing their way in front of stands. There was one child chasing a cucco that was younger then herself, but she couldn't even grab the other child's attention. She let out a long sigh and resumed sitting. Suddenly, some commotion caught her attention. Malon turned her head and saw a young boy with blond hair, wearing green clothes. Of course she saw him surrounded by many adults. In the boy's arms was various types of food, you could also see a small blue light hiding near the rim of his cap.

"Hey kid! You're going to pay us, right?" One of the angry stall owners demanded.

"Yeah, where's our money!?"

"Huh? What's 'money'?" Link asked while he had a loaf of bread in his mouth.

"The brat's a thief!" The angered adults closed in around him, one grabbing the boy by the scruff of his tunic.

"Here!" The stall owners turned to see a small red haired child holding out four blue rupees. "That's enough, right?" Snatching the rupees, the adults drop Link and return to their stalls. Link slowly stands up, recomposing himself. When he looks up, he is met by the blue eyes of a young girl. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"Huh?" Link quirks a brow, Navi revealing herself.

"Well, for starters." Malon circles the boy slowly. "Your clothes are very different," she then pointed at Navi, "you also have a fairy. You're from the forest, aren't you?" Link slowly nodded.

"That's right. Thanks..." The young boy scratched the back of his head. "For helping me out back there." Malon smiled sweetly.

"No problem, fairy boy." She let out a giggle.

"Fairy boy!?" Link could only gawk at his new nickname, but Navi could be heard snickering. "M-my name is Link!" He quickly stammered out, hoping to rid himself of the previous name before it stuck.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Link, my name is Malon." She smiled brightly. "So why don't you play with me for the day?" Malon asked as she turned her back to him.

"Play?" Link's face held a look of confusion.

"That's right." She spun on her heel and faced the young boy. "Think of it and repaying the twenty rupees you borrowed to pay for all the food." The red haired girl reached forward, snagging an apple from the stash in Link's arms. Navi buzzed around the blond boy, obviously annoyed.

"Link! We don't have time for this! We have to get to the castle and find Princess Zelda!"

"I know... But she did get us out of that mess before." Link tried to assure the fairy.

"You mean got 'you' out of that mess." Before the blond could retort, Malon's voice rang through the air, catching both of their attentions.

"Come on fairy boy!" Letting out a deep sigh, Link ran after Malon. After a short walk, the trio found themselves in a building with steps leading up to a counter. Behind an adjacent counter was a large, burly man.

"Welcome to the Shooting Gallery!" The man looked down at the two. "Well… I think you're still a little young to use a bow, but I suppose I could let you use that slingshot of yours. So what do ya say?"

A few hours later, Link and Malon could be seen sitting on the ledge of the fountain, idling chatting.

"So that's what rupees are…" Link nodded, understanding now the currency system of Hyrule. "We never used anything like that back in the forest. What we found was what we kept."

"Well things are much different outside of your forest, fairy boy." Malon placed her finger on her chin. "Of course you'll need to find a wallet to hold your rupees." The two just looked up at the sky for awhile, enjoying the soft sound of the fountain.

"Link!" Navi flew in between the two children, catching their attention. "We need to get to the castle! We need to see Princess Zelda right away!"

"You two are going to the castle?" Malon asked curiously, receiving a nod from Link. "Could you do me a favor then? My dad was suppose to be delivering milk to the castle, but he hasn't come back yet. He's wearing red and blue clothes, kind of big, and he is a little bald." She smiles softly. "If you see him, could you let him know he is in trouble? If you do, I promise I'll do something special for you. Just stop by Lon Lon Ranch." Link grinned, giving her a thumb up before he ran off towards the castle. Malon smiled, waving good bye to her new friend. _Something just feels... warm, about him._ Out of the blue, her dream came to mind. _Is he… is he the green light?_ Feeling a strange need, she ran after Link, finding him climbing up a vine on the rock wall before the first gate. Link had gotten half way up when his foot slipped, causing some loose rocks to come crashing into the ground.

"Hey! What's going on over there!?" A castle soldier that was guarding the front gate began to walk over after hearing and seeing the rocks hit the dirt road.

"Crap..." Link whispered under his breath, thinking for sure that he was going to get caught.

"Oh! Where is it!?" The blond boy recognized the voice as Malon's, causing him to look down. The broach that had held her yellow scarf together was missing from her neck. "Get going!" She harshly whispered to Link, which he took the hint and continued to climb. The red haired girl walked into the sight of Hylian knight, almost on the verge of tears. "I don't know what I'll do if I lose it! It was a special gift!" She began to frantically search the ground.

"Kid, what are you doing here?" The knight asked, not wanting to deal with a crying child. Link took this time to get out of sight successfully making it to the other side of the gate.

"Here it is!" Malon quickly moved her hands along the dirt road, making it seem like she picked up her broach. "I am so glad I found it!" She hugged it tightly. "Thank you so much for helping me find it, Mister!" She ran off, waving good bye to the knight, who in turn just shook his head and returned to his post. When she was out of sight, Malon looked up to see if Link had made it, he was no where to be seen. "Good luck, fairy boy."

Meanwhile, Link was low to the ground as he moved, his green tunic blending in with the grass and his wooden shield with the dirt wall behind him. Peeking over the small hill, he kept his eye on two of the guards that stood on the edge of the road. His opening came when they both looked away for a brief moment; Link pushed off his foot and sprinted across the grass silently. His back slammed against the stone wall, his breathing heavy. Navi flew from underneath his cap and peaked around the corner, the guards were completely oblivious.

"Nice work Link!" She whispered excitedly, resting on his shoulder. She glanced at the wall and noticed that the surface was rough, she had an idea. "Link, look at the wall, I think you can climb it." The blond boy nodded, as he turned to the wall. Reaching for the first rock, he pulled himself up and grasped the next rock. One after one, Link pulled himself up and over the wall. The young boy peeked over the cliff, no guards were in sight. Swinging his legs over the ledge, Link leapt down and landed on the hard dirt.

"I think we're in the clear, Navi." He whispered softly, walking quietly towards the inner door. The blond boy froze when he saw two more guards, he also noticed that the draw bridge was up, meaning that he had to find another way in. Link could hear the sound of running water which gave him an idea; he quietly slipped into the moat that surrounded the castle. Swimming with the small current, Link made it to the other side in no time. Climbing out of the water, he took off his cap and rung it free of the water. Suddenly, a loud sound caught Link and Navi's attention. They both looked over, seeing a rather large man in blue overalls, he was snoring. _That must be Malon's dad._ Link walked over to the man who was sleeping against a large wooden crate. Cautiously the young boy poked the older man in the shoulder, but he continued to snore. Grabbing the sleeping man's arm and shaking it proved useless as well.

"Link." Navi flew out and hovered over the water. Pulling off his already wet cap, Link got the idea.

"What in tarnation!?" The man yelled after the cold water hit his face. He shook his head, splashing water everywhere. The man stood to his feet and glanced down at Link. "Oh, hi there. Heh, must have dosed off a little." The large man stretched his arms out as he let out a deep yawn.

"Excuse me, but are you Malon's dad?" Link asked, stepping forward to make sure that the man was paying attention. The man smiled, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"That's right, the names Talon, I'm the owner of Lon Lon Ranch." His smile was large as he spoke of the ranch.

"Malon says you're in trouble."

"What!?" Talon looked at Link in horror. "Malon sent ya!?" He began to panic. "Oh no! I left Malon behind, she's really gonna tan my hide!" Talon ran with incredible speed, leaving nothing but dust clouds behind him.

"Okay..." Link shrugged, getting back to the task at hand, getting inside the castle. The first thing he spotted was a wooden door; Link soon discovered that it was locked. After a little searching, a small water fall caught his eye. Water was coming from a small opening in the castle wall and would fall into the moat. The distance to the wall was great, but a wooden milk crate near the flowing water gave Link an idea. The young boy backed up, reassuring himself. _You can do this…_ He took a deep breath, his blue eyes set on the opening. Shoving off his back foot, Link moved as fast as his leg would let him. He jumped high into the air, landing on the crate with a stomp. Without losing his momentum, he took another step and took a leap of faith. As if time itself slowed down, he could see the water flowing beneath him, the ledge coming closer and closer. Link's hands slapped against the concrete, he wanted to scream out in pain, but forced it back as he tried to pull himself up. Despite the water making the surface wet and his inability to get a proper footing on the wall, the blond boy pulled himself up. Getting to his feet, he let out a small laugh, a smirk on his face. "No problem."

"You almost fell in the water." Navi stated, her eyes narrowed. Link scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"I made it, didn't I?" Navi let out a sigh.

"Well, lets get inside; we still have to find Princess Zelda." The blue fairy flew around Link's head, trying to hurry him up. Taking the hint, the young boy knelt down, crawling into the small passage. Soon, Link could see a light towards the end of the water passage, it looked like sun light. Shielding his eyes, the young boy took in his surroundings; there were many flowers that were bathing in the sun's light. Link climbed out of the small pool and hopped onto the stone path. He tip toed forward, remaining silent as he came closer to the corner of the first wall. Two Hylian Knights were patrolling the grounds.

"I… I have to get to Princess Zelda.

_~_~_~_~_~_~

The birds were chirping, a gentle breeze blew against the green grass of Hyrule Castle's inner courtyard. Standing near a window, a little girl in a pink and white dress was peering inside. Covering up the color of her hair was a small cap, the symbol of the sacred triangle in the front.

_I know you're in there..._ The young Hylian girl thought to herself, keeping her eyes focused on whatever was inside the window. Her eyes went wide when her ears heard the sound of footsteps on the grass. She turned on the heel of her foot, gasping in horror. The young girl was surprised to find a boy her age standing at the foot of the steps. "Who are you!? How did you get past the guards?" It was only after her initial shock that she noticed the blue figure flying by the boy's side. "Wait, is that... a fairy?" Slowly the boy nodded, causing the girl to beam with hope. "Then, that mean you must be from the forest!" She let out a soft gasp, an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry, I am being rude. Let me properly introduce myself," she smiled, "I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule." The young boy's eyes went wide, the fairy with him beamed with excitement. "May I ask your name?" The young boy stood there in silence, it wasn't until the blue fairy bumped into his head that he spoke.

"My name is Link." Reaching into his tunic, the young boy pulled out the green Spiritual Stone.

"I see, you have the stone. That is good." Zelda smiled. Her eyes went from calm and happy to panic and fearing, this of course did not go unnoticed to Link. In a flash, the blond boy had drawn his sword and shield, spinning to face whatever might be there.

"Greetings, Princess Zelda." Spoke the voice of an adult man, a small snicker could be heard after he spoke. Link's eyes were locked on the dark skinned man with red-orange hair and golden eyes; he was encased in black armor. "I've come to meet with your father, the king."

"Sir Ganondorf, you dare enter this garden without permission!" Zelda's eyes were hard and determined, hiding her true feelings of fear.

_~_~_~_~_~_~

In Hyrule field, a wagon was on the dirt road heading towards Lon Lon Ranch. The driver was none other than Talon, who was busy spouting apology after apology to his daughter in the back. Malon tuned out as a deep chill went down her spine, causing her to shiver.

_What was that!?_ Her mind raced as it tried to come up with a logical reason, but none other than instinct explained it. _I've got a bad feeling... _She crawled to the far back of the wagon and looked to Hyrule Castle. _I hope you're ok, fairy boy._

**A/N: The meeting of the destiny, I thought it was a perfect way to end this chapter. Let me hear your thoughts.  
**


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